Can fans save a show? Well, if they act quickly, try hard enough, and use financial pressure, the answer seems to be “Yes!” When it was announced that HBO would we cutting the wild-west Deadwood series short after three seasons, fans of the HBO series got, well, downright ornery! They signed petitions, took out an ad in Variety (a Hollywood trade paper), sent letters and made calls indicating that they would cancel their HBO subscriptions at the end of Deadwood’s third season (which recently started airing).
As a result, HBO and Deadwood creator David Milch have now come to an agreement. Deadwood will return following the third season… sort-of. Rather than a full-blown 12-episode season to complete the series (which would have been quite costly and now, very difficult to coordinate), HBO and Milch will instead produce a pair of two-hour movies.
But wait, hadn’t HBO previously offered to pay for a six-episode fourth season? How is this better? Milch has said that he wasn’t in favor of doing a six-episode season because each episode of Deadwood has typically represented one day in the lives of the characters and South Dakota area. Shifting to two-hour movies will allow him to break that format and to be able to complete the storytelling he had for the final season. Milch has said that he’s thrilled that they worked out a way to continue Deadwood past the third season.
But what about the series actors that were released from their contracts over a month ago. Can HBO get them back? Though Deadwood cast members have not been signed for the movie projects as yet, it seems clear that HBO intends to do all it can to work out this aspect as well. One source has reported that HBO intends to “make it worth their while.” No doubt. Wouldn’t want to upset these fans . . . 
HBO cancels shows like Deadwood (just an awesome show) and replaces these great shows with Big Love and garbage like that and expect us to stand by them, well that is not going to happen, what the hell do you think you are doing over there, wake up before it’s to late!
The only reason I have HBO is for the Sopranos,Deadwood and Rome. Guess what? Sopranos and Deadwood are gone.
Like an idiot, I have been waiting and watching for Deadwood to begin. I just thought maybe somebody at HBO had gotten smart and figured out how to keep viewers from canceling during off season by spacing out the great shows, creating multiple back to back seasons instead of running them all in the same season/ months: Rome, then Sopranos, the Deadwood – smart business right? WRONG!!! When Sopranos ended and I did not see Deadwood on the cable guide for this weekend, so I searched Google and to my dismay, found out the series is not coming back. To… Read more »
Let me get this straight. Deadwood is cancelled. Arrested Development is cancelled. Sopranos is over. And the replacement for this sh*t is more reality tv & John from Cincinnati? What’s next? Entourage? How could this show be cancelled? It was nominated or won 22 Emmys or something like that? This was the best show that not only made us think (really who had an easy time deciphering what they were saying at times?) but entertained us thoroughly as well. I was really looking forward to the new season, especially since Sopranos is over. This sucks.
If I can’t get a definitive answer — and soon — about whether the 2 2-hour Deadwood movies are alive, HBO and I are quits. They did this with Carnivale (which I liked ever more). I’m not taking it a second time. Wrap up the series — don’t cancel them on the break. Now that the Sopranos are gone and now that I’ve seen the horrid John from Cincinnati, there isn’t much left to pay for. Netflix, here I come.
I have been waiting for Deadwood to return, only now did I find out that it will not happen. I kept HBO for two reasons, the Sopranos (biggest disappointment) and Deadwood. I will cancel HBO tomorrow morning no sense in throwing money away. Added comment, I will not watch anything (movies or reruns) of the Sopranos, it was getting bad and progressively gotten worse (made you think it had to get better), well the ending was just a hype – TERRIBLE. HBO you’ve lost me and I am sure many others, personally I won’t stand for your viewer abuse.
You know, every season between the Soprano and Deadwood I had to shut off my subscription to HBO. My husband likes to save a dime. Talking him into turning on HBO for Deadwood is all for mote, I just asked him the other day, I wonder when Deadwood is going to be back?”Well I guess never.
HBO has slowly over the past years began to really suck. HBO at one time was great. You had good movies, mini series and other interesting programs. Deadwood is about a piece of history that we all need to be in touch with. It is so well written aobut a civilation becomming productive and developing a society. If others don’t like the cursing then don’t watch. It is about time that networks such as HBO be more apprecitive of the people that watch HBO instead of a bunch of ego driven idiots deciding what we like or don’t like. Before… Read more »
It truly is a shame to find that Deadwood won’t return this year. Personally, I don’t follow the doings of networks. For some odd reason, I believe that brilliance will be its own reward by being able to continue unimpeded. Amazingly, that is not the case.
I couldn’t be more disappointed in HBO to cancel this show. It had a lyrical quality of language that was both luscious and brittley beautiful at the same time. It was cocksucking Shakespear in cowboy boots.
i swear why even start a series if you can’t keep it going. hbo do suck mucho..what’s the problem? i’m thru watching all of their “so called series” i love the sopranos but i can see it’s gonna be a bullsh*t ending.
Deadwood; Rome and the Sopranos are the reason I pay for the HBO movie channel. I don’t get to watch much TV but I make an effort every Sunday to relax and watch this enjoyable true to life entertainment. Please stay the course. I “never”!! watch sit-coms. Can’t stand it.. Thank you for the opportunity to express my concern..
I miss DEADWOOD!
this is f**king bullsh*t first rome now deadwood, they gah that stupid f**king sporano show on for like 8 f**king seasons and the same with oz they canceled the only reason i watch HBO. HBO is dead in my book, im renting movies from now on. hbo is canceled
I was away from any kind of television watching for a few years due to incredible moronity on their part. By a fluke I caught the very first episode of Deadwood and was astonished. Superior writing, acting, design, historical context, etc. etc. I immediately ordered HBO. Sadly, that’s been long ago now. I really thought that HBO’s incredibly artistic original content was going to provide a new era for television. No. Just more of the continuing ignorence of before. I’m cancelling HBO and basically don’t give a sh*t what you do.
When is HBO going to start production on our “pity movies”? I have been debating on canceling HBO, but like most are waiting until the movies at least get aired….I cannot believe that management can loose so much touch with the CUSTOMER…..Remember this HBO; in the end what keeps you around is US, and when we get enough of your stupid sh*t, you will go away just like all the other bad products that the consumer is wise enough to stop wasting time and money on. You have built an inteligent customer base and have the lack of forethought to… Read more »